


It was so far to fall but it didn't hurt at all

by Celair



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Everyone else kinda knows though, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kara doesn't know she's in love, SO MUCH FLUFF, literally just 15k words of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 00:57:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16608794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celair/pseuds/Celair
Summary: The evolution of Kara and Lena's relationship from Kara's POV





	It was so far to fall but it didn't hurt at all

**Author's Note:**

> This is literally just self-indulgent fluff. I didn't really ever intend on writing it but it wanted out of my brain. Never written a fic before and it turns out the only things I love more than supercorp are comma splices and a run-on sentence. Grammatical errors aside, I hope someone out there enjoys some soft supercorp getting to know each other as friends and slowly falling in love. 
> 
> Title is a line from one of my favourite FATM songs.

The first time they met, Kara felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her. Which is saying something, considering she can fly. Kara was tagging along with Clark under the guise of being on official Catco business, so the L-Corp security would let her through to see Lena Luthor. She was a difficult woman to get face time with, and Kara wasn’t sure if accompanying the reporter who wrote scathing articles about the Luthor family worked in her favour or against it. Kara had never met a Luthor before but she knew all about them. Knew how they were likely as evil as humans could get, with unrelenting hatred against any and all aliens. Knew about Lex Luthor’s vendetta against her cousin Kal and how they used to be best friends before he murdered thousands of people in an attempt to kill Superman. Knew that Lena had been raised under the same roof as Lex, cut from the same cloth, and although she had testified against her brother could very well have been throwing him under the bus to keep her own hands clean.

Or so she thought.

Lena Luthor wasn’t at all as expected. Kara was anticipating a severe, cold woman to enter the room and dodge their questions about her involvement in the Venture ship that had recently exploded. Instead, she was met by a commanding woman who appeared a bit younger than Kara herself, immaculately dressed and more than a little intimidating. She was forthcoming with answers about why she wasn’t on the Venture and even provided Kal with evidence to review, looking a bit unimpressed as she did so but considering her and Kal’s past relationship Kara thinks that’s a bit understandable. She doesn’t even glance at Kara, looking over her as if she doesn’t matter until Kara brings up Supergirl. Suddenly she finds herself the sole focus of that piercing green gaze. It takes a moment to register that Lena Luthor has just asked her who she is, but Kara manages to stammer out an explanation and feel a bit of a blush make itself known as it’s met with a comment about high-waisted jeans.

The more Lena talks, the more Kara starts to feel uncomfortable as she realizes her assumptions about the woman were so much different than the reality. When Lena talks about wanting to make a name for herself outside her family, it resonates with Kara and she finds herself drawn to her, feeling a bit of a kinship considering the long (caped) shadow she often finds herself trying to escape.

When they leave the office (Kal leading the way and Kara hurrying to snap out of her thoughts and catch up) Kal doesn’t seem convinced. It’s all too convenient for him, and he’s used to thinking of Lena as Lex’s little sister and not her own person. Kara however, finds herself thinking about Lena in a different manner. She’s curious. Something about Lena has captured her interest and she finds she wants to know more about her.

__________

Learning about Lena’s alien detection device immediately puts Kara in defensive mode. She starts to make assumptions about Lena’s motives for creating the device and the harm she could do with it before catching herself and forcing herself not to jump to conclusions. At further explanation, Kara realizes it boils down to being a business deal. Money to be made. She supposes she shouldn’t be surprised, but is a bit concerned Lena hasn’t thought past profit margins to some of the hazards a device like this being readily available may cause for the aliens of America. Knowing she’s a smart woman, (anyone in a CEO’s position had to be intelligent, let alone at such a young age) Kara argues her side, hoping it’s enough to convince Lena so she won’t have to sneakily render more of the detection devices inoperative in an attempt to keep them from going to market.

When she later learns Lena scrapped the project at no small expense to her company because of Kara’s words, she’s pleasantly surprised and grateful. To Kara, it gives her hope that she can really make a difference as a reporter. It’s motivating her to want to use her words and new position at Catco to help make the world a safer place for aliens, other refugees like her.

__________

The first time they spend time together outside of a work capacity is an accident. Not that Kara wouldn’t want to spend time with her, it’s just that Lena is a little bit intimidating and she’s not sure she’d be open to that, let alone how she should ask. Kara still feels that urge, that pull to learn more about Lena. It’s only getting stronger the more time they spend together, the more interviews she’s granted despite all other reporters being turned away by the almost-equally-as-intimidating Jess, the more she’s allowed access to Lena’s office, the more she hears her say “Kara” instead of “Miss Danvers” and the way her name rolls off her tongue.

They bump into each other at Noonan’s of all places. Kara is a bit surprised to see her there. She’s always imagined Lena as the type of woman to have someone else fetch her coffee, but she’s slowly learning that she really shouldn’t be making assumptions about this woman. She is, however, correct in assuming that Lena has yet to try the best sticky buns in town. The moment Kara confirms it’s a delicacy that she hasn’t had the fortune of tasting yet she makes it her priority. Lena tries to laugh off Kara’s attempts at convincing her to get a sticky bun with her coffee, citing an inability to digest that much sugar in a day, let alone a single pastry. Not so easily deterred, Kara buys a sticky bun (or three) for herself and convinces Lena to have a single bite.

It’s worth sharing her food to watch Lena use a fork to carefully slip the smallest possible bite of the pastry past her lipstick and the look on her face as the taste registers. Kara is invested for reasons she can’t explain. She knows these are the best sticky buns in town and has yet to find someone crazy enough not to love them, but she can’t help feel a little nervous, hoping Lena enjoys something she recommended. The surprised look of delight on Lena’s face is a moment she’s not likely to forget anytime soon. Kara feels especially victorious when Lena takes a second (still minuscule) bite without prompting and enjoys it just as much as the first.

They collect their coffees and exit the café, both of them lingering on the sidewalk as Kara tells Lena where to find the best Chinese food in town, and the best pizza, and the best ice cream. She could go on and on, wanting to share some of her favourites with Lena and enjoying the small smile on her face as she listens to Kara ramble on. Kara knows she’s a busy woman and likely will have to rush to get to work on time after taking a few extra moments to spend with her, but that just makes her feel special. As she’s doing her best to stop monopolizing Lena’s time and let her go to L-Corp, she notices Lena’s gaze has gone from Kara’s face to something passing behind her and the small smile on her face has grown ever so slightly.

Kara turns to see a small Bernese puppy trotting past her legs on a leash. She audibly squeals before clapping her hands over her mouth, getting a laugh out of the owner who wishes them a good morning on her way by. Lena apologizes for getting distracted from what she was saying but Kara assures her it’s completely understandable, both of them still watching the puppy as it gets further away. Lena admits to having a weakness for puppies, especially that breed. Insisting it’s the last thing she’ll do before she lets her go to work, Kara pulls out her phone to pull up her favourite berner Instagram account. Lena looks regretful but says she’s really running late. Kara says she’ll email her the link so she can have a look at it when she has a free minute or needs a break. The shorter woman chews her lip as she hesitates, looking like she’s deciding whether or not to say something. She pulls out a business card and a pen, scribbling something on the back before pressing it into Kara’s palm.

With a quick goodbye she spins on her heels and starts walking briskly towards L-Corp. Kara looks down to see the words “personal cell” and a string of ten digits on the back of the card in her hand. Feeling as if she’s been given a gift, Kara heads in the direction of Catco with a smile on her face, but not before sending her newest contact a link to what she’s sure will be a well-loved Instagram account.

__________

Kara and Lena continue to exchange texts after that first message. When Alex first catches sight of Lena’s name popping up on Kara’s phone, she’s a bit surprised. In hindsight, Kara probably should have seen it coming but she truly doesn’t think of Lena as being anything like her family. Alex isn’t happy about it but Kara makes it clear that her opinion isn’t going to stop her from talking to her new friend, especially since she feels like a friend is something Lena really needs right now. Kara’s confident that if Alex knew Lena like she did she’d understand.

J’onn brings up Lena less than an hour later. Kara is sure Alex went to him to try and convince him to talk her out of getting closer to Lena. She knows they’re just worried about her and their defensiveness of her is how they show they care, but she’s a little frustrated they don’t trust her judgment. J’onn backs off after a gentle reminder to be careful. Kara isn’t happy about it but she promises she will be.

If Alex and J’onn were worried or unhappy about Kara getting closer to Lena, James is straight up angry. He calls Kara into his office one morning to rant and rave about the dangers of getting too close to Luthors. Kara supposes he considers himself an expert since he watched Kal and Lex go from being best friends to mortal enemies and the damage they caused to themselves and people around them. After a few minutes of watching him pace and listening to his rambling Kara gets fed up with it. She tries getting James’ attention but he won’t let her get a word in edgewise, going on and on about Luthor this and Luthor that.

After a couple failed attempts to interject Kara gives up, turning on her heel and walking out of James’ office as he calls after her. She feels frustrated. Why is everyone convinced Lena is dangerous and think Kara should stay away from her? She just wishes they’d try to get to know Lena before automatically assuming she’s like her brother.

Winn is over the moon when he hears that Kara has befriended L-Corp’s newest CEO. It turns out he’s quite a fan. Within 30 seconds of finding out Kara’s on a first name basis with Lena he’s trying to convince her to bring her to the next game night. Kara is happy to have at least one friend who isn’t immediately judging Lena by her last name and is open to meeting the newest person in her life.

__________

Over the next few months, Kara and Lena continue to grow closer. They’ve started having lunch frequently and text nearly every day about more than just work. It’s taken time for Lena to open up to her but it feels so rewarding for Kara when she shares personal details or stories. It feels good to know she trusts her with the knowledge and wants to share.

Kara finds herself at the end of a long day of work thinking about how she’s going to relax. She has a movie night planned with Alex and is really looking forward to eating her weight in take out food and hanging out with her sister.

Her plans are cancelled before she even gets out of the Catco building. With a groan, she replies to Alex’s text that it’s okay, and to go spend time with her girlfriend Kelly who apparently had a rough day at work and needs the company. It still doesn’t fix Kara’s rough day at work and her need for company though.

She’s halfway through her flight home when she thinks to invite Lena over. She doesn’t know why Lena hasn’t been to her apartment before; all of her friends come over frequently and make themselves at home. After a bit more thought, Kara’s decided that having Lena over that night is the only acceptable solution.

It doesn’t surprise her that Lena is still at work when she texts her. What does surprise her is her reluctance to come over to Kara’s apartment. Lena is trying to turn down the invitation but her excuses seem poorly thought out, maybe even fictitious. Concerned, Kara directs her hearing towards L-Corp. It takes a moment but she locates the sound of Lena working away in her office and subsequently her heartbeat. It’s fast and anxious sounding to Kara, as if Lena is anxious about the idea of coming over.

Kara sends off another text, hoping she isn’t making the situation worse. She tells Lena she’s had a long day and would really appreciate some company. Kara also makes sure to tell Lena that it would just be the two of them, no one else, and that there would be take out and wine waiting for her if she could make it. After a few moments of deliberation, she receives a text back asking for the address. Grinning, Kara sits up and replies before immediately jumping off the couch to order food and tidy her apartment before Lena gets there.

About forty-five minutes later, Kara is unpacking bags of Chinese food when her super hearing picks up the sound of the elevator opening. The distinctive sound of high-heeled shoes makes its way down the hallway, closer and closer to Kara’s apartment, accompanied by the sound of a rapid heartbeat. Kara turns towards the door with a smile but freezes when the shoes do, a few paces away.

She’s standing there waiting, knowing Lena is a few meters away in the hallway but not sure why she’s stopped. Listening closely, she still hears that rapid heartbeat and now the sound of Lena taking deep breaths in the hallway. Kara feels her heart clench at the sound. She was hoping it’d be a night for the both of them to relax, but she can tell Lena is currently experiencing a bit of anxiety as she’s approaching Kara’s front door.

Not sure if she can answer the door without giving herself away as eavesdropping, Kara waits. It takes about another minute before Lena takes the last couple steps to Kara’s door and knocks. Conscious of the fact she’s nervous, Kara tries to be calm and welcoming when she opens the door.

Lena is standing there in a deep blue coat that reaches to her knees. She has her customary heels on and her hair has been pulled back into a tight bun. Little hairs have started to escape but other than that she looks immaculate. Kara steps aside to let her enter the apartment, taking her coat to hang and telling her to leave her bag and shoes wherever she’d like. Below the coat, Lena is wearing a black pencil skirt and a grey long-sleeved mock neck shirt. Kara feels underdressed in her own home as she takes note of Lena’s work clothes and the way they seem perfectly tailored to her.

Kara offers Lena some comfier clothes to change into but is politely turned down. She knew she was pushing her luck considering she can still hear the nervous beat of Lena’s heart, a little faster than normal. They settle on the couch, Lena sitting perfectly straight as she accepts a plate of Chinese food and a glass of wine. Kara wasn’t sure what kind of wine Lena preferred but it looks like she made a good guess as Lena lets out an appreciative little hum after taking a sip.

Lena’s nerves were making Kara feel a bit nervous simply because she wanted her to be comfortable. Resolving to act as if they were just having another office lunch, Kara starts to ramble about Snapper’s latest assignment. Before long, Lena starts to relax, settling into the cushions and laughing softly at Kara’s elaborate storytelling. Kara is relieved when she seems to be moving past her anxiety and tells Kara about her day at L-corp. They spend the rest of their dinner swapping tales of their day, then sit on the couch a bit longer after Kara refills their wine glasses making conversation.

It was already pretty late when Lena got there so after about two hours she’s gathering her things and slipping her shoes on to head down and meet her driver and go home for the night. Kara stands nearby, brushing off Lena’s gratitude for dinner and thanking her in turn for coming over on such short notice to keep her company.

When Lena straightens up and reaches for her bag Kara passes it to her but hesitates to let go of the handle. At Lena’s inquiring look Kara opens her mouth, closes it, takes a deep breath, then manages to tell Lena that she’s really glad she came over tonight. She’s not quite sure why it’s so hard to say but the soft look on Lena’s face is worth the effort. They usually hug before parting, and as Lena slides her arms around Kara’s waist she steps in extra close so that their bodies are pressed together at almost their entire length. Kara gently wraps her arms around Lena’s shoulders and rests her cheek against her head. They stand there, just holding each other in the soft light of Kara’s entryway. She feels as Lena takes a deep breath against her before gently pulling back and sliding her arms slowly from where they were pressed against her back, down against her waist, before stepping away and picking up her bag. With a final thank you and a goodnight, Lena leaves for the night.

As Kara is climbing into bed a few minutes later, she catches a whiff of Lena’s scent wafting off the front of her pyjama shirt. Smiling, she turns off the light and nestles down under the covers, pulling the collar of her shirt closer to her face and enjoying the lingering perfume.

__________

Telling Lena that she’s Supergirl is…hard.

Kara puts it off for as long as she possibly can but it’s eating away at her. The fear that Lena will treat her differently when she knows she’s an alien and the resident caped hero is a difficult barrier to overcome, but Kara knows the longer she waits the worse it’s going to get. For a while Kara could justify not telling her because they were still getting to know each other and because it was technically safer if Lena didn’t know, but she knows she’s long past that point now. Lena is going to be in danger whether or not she knows she’s Supergirl, and they’ve grown so close these days Kara’s surprised she hasn’t accidentally outed herself already.

When she talks to Alex about it, Alex is surprised Lena doesn’t know already. After teasing her about her supposedly genius best friend who can’t see past a ponytail and glasses, Alex tells Kara that as much as she doesn’t like her sister revealing herself to more people, that Lena really should know. She also brings up an issue Kara hadn’t really considered, that Lena will think Kara didn’t trust her or has been lying to her for malicious reasons and that the sooner she comes clean the better. Kara is more nervous after her talk with Alex but it solidifies her resolve to tell Lena. And as much as her nerves are getting to her, she’s happy to hear Alex talk about Lena as someone who can be trusted and who deserves to know.

When it comes down to it, Kara wants Lena to know. They’re best friends, have been for months, and Kara wants to be able to fully open up to Lena and share all the parts of her life with her. Being Supergirl and the struggles and rewards that brings is such a large part of Kara’s identity these days and it’s something she wants to be able to talk to Lena about. Not to mention it feels like Kara is being a bad friend when she tells Lena about her day and has to skip around the details of her super activities. If Lena knew she’s Supergirl Kara also wouldn’t have to make awkward excuses when Supergirl is needed.

The more she thinks about it the more she knows Lena deserves to know and that Kara wants it to come from her. That doesn’t stop it from being a really hard conversation to have. Kara tries multiple times to tell Lena but either they get interrupted or Kara freezes, can’t get the words out, and ends up stammering and changing the subject.

Kara ends up making a deal with herself, resolving not to eat pizza again until she tells Lena. Boy was that ever a motivator. With Alex’s help, she gets the night off from Supergirl duties and invites Lena over for dinner. Her nerves are apparent all throughout dinner, but other than asking if she’s feeling okay Lena doesn’t press.

After dinner Kara moves them to the couch and brings a glass of wine for Lena, opting against one for herself considering her nerves and how delicate glassware is. When she tells Lena she has something to tell her, Lena takes a deep breath and sets her wine down before giving Kara her undivided attention. Her gaze is open but not pressuring, just waiting patiently with her eyes on Kara. As the silence extends, Lena reaches over and gives Kara’s hand a gentle reassuring squeeze.

Kara takes a steadying breath. She knows her anxiety is making Lena nervous and tries to calm herself down before starting. She begins by telling Lena how much she values her as a friend, how much she trusts her, trying to start by reassuring Lena how much she means to her before dropping the figurative bomb. Watching Lena’s face though, Kara realizes it’s having a bit of an opposite effect, as Lena looks like she’s preparing herself to hear some really bad news.

Kara decides to get it over with. She tells Lena how she grew up with the Danvers, but as she already knows, she was adopted at a young age because her parents died. When she tells Lena that her whole planet died and she came to Earth to avoid a similar fate, Lena looks dumbstruck. Having passed the point of no return, Kara can’t stop the words from tumbling out.

She talks about getting here years later than intended, how the cousin she was sent to protect had already grown up and she was left floundering as a teenager without his help. How Alex and the Danvers helped her, how she was forced to hide her identity for her safety and the safety of everyone else especially after what happened with Jeremiah, how it’s hard for her not to hide her identity now after years of it being reinforced into her.

When she starts talking about saving Alex on the plane and becoming Supergirl, Lena takes a shuddering breath. Kara pauses, focusing on her face, and sees Lena working to blink back tears. Her heart aches to see Lena upset, but knew this was a risk of revealing herself as Supergirl. Lena has yet to say anything, she’s just sitting there trying not to cry, and Kara can’t stand the silence. She rambles about how not telling Lena was never about her family or about not trusting her, but about being scared she’d treat her differently. When Lena’s face drops, Kara realizes how that may sound to her. Trying to backtrack, Kara’s tripping over her words now. She’s having a hard time conveying to Lena that she trusts her implicitly, but that she was just scared to tell her without making to seem like she was scared to reveal herself as an alien to her Luthor best friend.

As Kara sits wringing her hands while trying to find the words to say what she means, Lena asks her if any of their friendship was even real. Shocked, Kara feels tears well up in her own eyes. She can’t stand the cold detached sound of Lena’s voice, so different from the way she usually speaks to her. Kara puts as much emphasis as she can into telling Lena that yes, their friendship is real, that it’s the most significant friendship she’s every had, that even though it might seem like she was hiding her identity from her because she’s a Luthor, that it couldn’t be further from the truth. She tries to say it with conviction when she tells Lena that she trusts her with her life and that telling her she’s Supergirl isn’t about coming clean it’s about caring about and trusting her so much that she wants to share her full identity with her. Kara is crying by the end of it. She’s scared she’s not getting through to Lena. She’s scared that she’s ruined their relationship by not telling her sooner and that she’s going to lose Lena now.

When Lena stands and says she needs to go, the tears start coming harder. Kara starts to plead with Lena to stay, to talk to her about it. She’s scared that if Lena leaves now she’ll never come back to her. It doesn’t quite register in the moment that her reaction might be a bit disproportional to losing a friend; she just knows she’s devastated at the thought of not having Lena in her life.

When Lena takes a deep breath and says she needs time, Kara feels a glimmer of hope. She can give her time. She knows it’s going to eat at her but Kara understands that Lena might need time to process the revelation she just had. Kara says she’ll give her time, all the time she needs, but please please _please_ just know that she’s important to her and she hopes she’ll reach out when she can.

Lena nods.

Lena collects her things and leaves.

Kara doesn’t hear from her for two weeks.

She’s worried sick for those two weeks. When she shows up to work the next day James calls her into his office to ask if she’s okay, but Kara just nods and goes back out to the bullpen to get to work. She must look down because Snapper lacks his usual gruff manner when he speaks to her that day. When she gets to the DEO later Alex gives her a hug but thankfully doesn’t try to talk about it right then and there.

Later that night they have a sister’s night and Kara cries again recounting how she couldn’t get her words across and how Lena reacted to the news. She tells Alex how she can’t lose Lena, how she means so much to her and she’s scared she’s ruined their friendship forever. Alex listens to Kara like the amazing sister she is and holds her after, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She tries to reassure Kara that it’ll be okay. She says confidently that if Lena cares about her even half as much as Kara cares about Lena she’ll reach out to her again and to just give her time. Kara feels a bit better afterward and cuddles her sister on the couch as they watch a sappy rom com movie and eat too much junk food.

As the days go by Kara feels more and more hopeless that Lena is going to reach out but she respects her need for space and doesn’t try to contact Lena herself. The rest of her friends eventually hear about why Kara’s not her usual self but nothing they really do makes her feel better.

Kelly tries to keep her distracted with love and movie nights and pizza so she doesn’t have time to focus on missing Lena. Winn tries to reassure Kara that Lena will come around, to just give her space, and that anyone who can’t see how much of an amazing friend she is doesn’t deserve her anyways. James doesn’t seem particularly upset as he tells Kara that Lena’s reaction isn’t really unexpected, and that she may not have her as a friend anymore but she’s still got plenty of real friends who’ll stick by her side and support her.

Alex is the best sister in the universe. She seems to understand intuitively that Kara doesn’t really want to talk about it, she just wants support while she deals with it in her own way. Even if dealing with it just consists of wallowing in her hurt for a bit because she misses her best friend. Kara overhears Kelly tell Alex that Kara’s worse than she was after her last breakup, but Alex tells her not to bug Kara about it right now. Kara doesn’t really get it but she knows she loves Alex to the ends of the galaxy.

When Lena texts Kara asking to meet, Kara is almost too thrilled just to hear from her to be nervous. Almost. When Kara comes to her office later than evening when most of the staff has gone home for the night, Lena is still working but tells Kara to come in and have a seat.

They’re sitting at Lena’s desk instead of their usual places on the couch. Kara isn’t sure what that means but she knows it feels more formal and makes her a little bit nervous. When Lena closes her laptop, looks up and takes a deep breath, Kara tries not to fidget in her seat.

Lena tells her she has questions. Kara is just so relieved to be seeing her and talking to her she tells her she’ll answer her questions, any questions, as best as she can. Lena’s obviously put a lot of thought into her questions, asking them so fast Kara barely has time to take a breath in between answering one before she’s been asked another. Kara knows she has to be fully honest. She feels as if she’s got a lot on the line with this conversation, like it’s a test of how much she truly trusts Lena before Lena decides if they can still be friends. She knows that she’ll do whatever it takes to keep Lena in her life. She doesn’t want to go back to how it was before they were friends now that she knows how amazing it is to have this woman in her life.

After exhausting her seemingly endless list of questions, Lena takes a deep breath. She thanks Kara for her honesty, knowing it can’t be easy to share so many of her secrets all at once. Kara brushes her off, telling her she wants to share them all with her, whether it’s now to prove her trust or later in the future doesn’t matter to her. Lena takes a moment to process that comment. Then she looks Kara in the eyes and tells her she misses her. Kara feels hope start to push its way back in. Lena goes on to say it was tough for her to wrap her head around, and she worries she overthought a lot of their relationship, but that what it comes down to is that she wants Kara in her life.

Kara can’t believe what she’s hearing. Anxiety she’s been housing starts to bleed out of her as she hears that Lena still wants to be friends. She’s quick to reassure Lena that that’s what she wants too; that she feels her life isn’t as good without her in it. Lena says that it’s going to be tough for her at first, that she’s still working on combining two people into one in her mind, but that she’s going to work on it and she hopes Kara can accept that. Kara is just so happy to hear Lena is willing to accept all parts of her that she’s willing to do whatever it takes.

They agree to have lunch the next day, agreeing that they both missed them and that acting as normally as possible will probably help Lena the most. Kara leaves feeling as if a weight has been taken off her chest. She’s relieved she’s not losing Lena, and believes that even if things are a bit uncomfortable at first that they can get back to being best friends. It’s with a smile on her face she flies over to Alex’s to tell her the news.

__________

It takes time, but they’re well on their way to putting the Supergirl secret and reveal behind them. Lena struggled for a bit to let her walls down again after their reconciliation but Kara was patient and did everything she could to show Lena she trusts her. It helps that Kara is no longer telling white lies any time she needs to leave for a Supergirl emergency. She feels like a knot in her chest has come undone now that she can be her full authentic self around Lena. It’s not that she wasn’t herself before, but she was always holding a little bit back. As time goes on and Kara shares more about herself and her life as both Kara Danvers and Supergirl, she feels like her relationship with Lena is growing deeper and more meaningful.

One night while they’re enjoying ice cream and a movie under blankets on Kara’s couch, Lena asks Kara if she can ask her a personal question. Kara answers affirmatively, a bit surprised that Lena still feels the need to ask. She’s not sure what question she was expecting, but she’s a bit taken back when Lena asks her about her birth name.

Kara’s touched. Something about the way Lena asked her makes it feel like it’s significant, as if it’s a big deal to share her birth name. Kara isn’t fazed though. She figured out a long time ago that she loves being open and honest about herself with Lena and she’s surprised she hasn’t thought to share her name already.

“Kara Zor-EL” is repeated back to her with a thoughtful look on Lena’s face. She already loves the way Lena says her name. When the younger woman asks if she can use Kara’s birth name when it’s just the two of them, her heart swells and she drops her ice cream on the coffee table so she can close the distance between the two of them and tackle Lena in a hug.

__________

It took some work to convince Lena to come to a game night, but Kara is known to be stubborn. Also, no one can resist her pout forever.

She’s nervous. Even though her friends have all met Lena before, aside from Alex and Kelly none of them have really seen her outside a work capacity. While Alex, Kelly and Winn all support Kara and know how much Lena means to her, she’s a bit worried about James. She knows he’s a good guy but he lets his biases cloud his judgment and he’s made it clear he’s not a fan of any Luthors, including Lena, and that he thinks Kara’s involvement with her is a bad idea.

When Alex and Kelly get there to help Kara set up snacks and games, she’s running around the apartment adjusting things that don’t really need adjusting and tidying her already spotlessly clean loft. When Kelly asks her what’s turned National City’s fearless hero into a bundle of nerves, Kara explains she just wants everything to be perfect for Lena. Kelly and Alex exchange a look as the former grabs a couple beers from the fridge and pops the caps off. Taking a sip, Kelly leans against the counter as she comments that Kara and Lena seem to have grown even closer since Kara shared her identity with her.

Beaming, Kara starts talking about how amazing Lena is and how much better she feels since she told Lena she’s Supergirl. Alex takes her beer and moves to the living room to start setting up but Kelly is listening closely. She can feel herself gushing but isn’t embarrassed; Lena is amazing and deserves to be gushed about. She’s the best friend Kara’s ever had and she loves to talk about her. Kara spends a few solid minutes talking about Lena’s recent work accomplishments and how she’s going to change the world for good while a very patient Kelly listens to her go on. Before long she’s starting to talk about how beautiful Lena is and how she loves the way her eyes light up when she’s talking about something she’s passionate about. Kelly’s eyebrows have been steadily rising towards her hairline as Kara goes on but after a comment about how nice Lena always smells when they cuddle during movie nights she interrupts Kara with a look of disbelief on her face.

Before Kelly can ask whatever question was on the tip of her tongue, the door swings open and Winn and James walk in with smiles on their face and pizzas in hand. Kara jumps up from the stool she was sitting on to help them unload their arms on the kitchen island. Her interrogation about whether they remembered the vegetarian pizza for Lena was met with laughs and reassurances that yes, they could remember to do the one specific thing she texted them about four times that day.

The men are still taking off their shoes and jackets when Kara hears the sound of heels coming down the hallway. She knows Lena’s nervous about game night and spending time with Kara’s friends so she’s not too surprised when the footsteps stop a few feet from the door.

Excusing herself, she slips out the front door and is met with the sight of Lena, hands in her jacket pockets, a liquor store bag slung over her forearm and a gentle smile on her face when she sees Kara. She quietly greets Kara, who holds her arms out for a hug. Kara tries to convey comfort and reassurance that the night will go well, and she thinks it works when she feels Lena take a deep breath and relax in her arms. They’re only out there for about a minute or two when Alex sticks her head out the door to check on them. She obviously notes their position but doesn’t comment on it, just tells them the pizza is getting cold and the boys are getting impatient to pick charades partners. With one last look to check Lena’s okay, Kara takes her hand and leads her into the apartment.

The alcohol Lena brought is enough to win over Alex and Kelly in a heartbeat. Not that they were opposed to Lena coming to game night, but it’s not every day they get a chance to taste top shelf scotch and it definitely works in Lena’s favour. Winn was also excited to get a chance to spend time with Lena considering he still hasn’t really gotten over his fanboy admiration of her.

James isn’t rude but he isn’t overly friendly at first. It takes a few rounds of charades and a game of Mario kart for him to stop pretending Lena isn’t there. Kara is relieved when he asks her a question about her work that appears to be out of genuine curiosity and there’s no cynical tone behind it. She loves both Lena and James in their own way, and it’s important to her that the important people in her life are on at least friendly terms.

By the time game night starts to wind down, Kara is warm and content and enjoying herself. She finally started to relax around halfway through the night when she could see Lena was having a good time, even if that good time including destroying everyone at cards. They’re playing out the end of their game and she’s sitting on pillows next to Lena on the floor, with the smaller woman pressed against her. Kara’s already been eliminated from the game so she’s just enjoying being around her favourite people and chatting with Winn who has also been eliminated.

Once the game is over everyone starts getting ready to head out for the night. The boys leave first, taking the empty pizza boxes and recycling to drop off in the bins on their way out and leaving with as much of a wave as they can manage with their hands full. Alex, Kelly and Lena help Kara tidy up a bit, bringing dishes to the kitchen and putting cushions back where they belong but Kara waves off any more attempts to help more than that. Alex and Kelly are next to go, getting ready faster than Lena who’s texting her driver and hasn’t gotten to her shoes and jacket yet. They both give Kara a tight hug before leaving with a wave and a goodnight for Lena on their way out.

Kara walks over to where Lena is reaching for her jacket and holds it up to help her put it on. She asks Lena if she had fun tonight, and is happy to hear that she enjoyed herself. Kara thanks her for coming, saying she knows it’s hard for Lena to open herself up to letting others in but her friends would all love to get to know her and include her in the future. When Lena straightens from securing her shoes she tells Kara that would be nice, and Kara feels happiness spread through her chest and limbs at her words.

She brings Lena in for a goodnight hug before she leaves, squeezing her gently and telling her she loves her. It’s not the first time Kara’s said it, but it comes out this time softly and full of conviction. What she loves the most is the way Lena has started to say it back. The words are still soft and timid, as if she’s getting used to saying them, but it fills Kara with sunshine any time she’s lucky enough to be on the receiving end of Lena’s love.

__________

Since Lena bought Catco, getting to see her best friend in her workplace has spoiled Kara. It always brightens her day when Lena is there. Not that she minds going to L-Corp, there they have the advantage of having Lena’s whole office to hang out or have lunch. But something about Lena in Catco, stopping by Kara’s desk with a coffee and a sticky bun, or looking up to see her in Cat’s office is just nice for Kara.

It also means that James has been working more with Lena since the change in ownership. Kara knows it was hard for him at first, and that they still butt heads every now and then, but they seem to have a working relationship that’s been running smoothly for the past couple months. It’s a bit of a relief to Kara. She was glad to see James be friendly with Lena and interact with her at game nights, but by working with her Kara hopes he’s gotten to know Lena more for herself and is letting his past prejudices go.

As it turns out, it’s worked better than Kara anticipated.

She’s sitting at her desk one morning, munching happily on a doughnut that was waiting for her with a note that had a heart drawn on it. She’s taking a little brain break from the article she’s working on, leaning back in her chair and looking around the room.

Across the bullpen, she can see into Cat’s office where James and Lena look like they’re having a meeting. She doesn’t mean to stare, but she just loves watching her friends. Lena talks with her hands a lot and she has a feeling by the way she’s smiling and moving around the room that whatever their meeting is about, it’s going well. Probably numbers, business, CEO talk that Kara doesn’t really understand but she’s glad to see them getting along. Lena ends up standing near James, leaning against the desk when James does something weird.

Kara watches as he steps in even closer to Lena. A hand comes out of his pocket and lands on Lena’s shoulder, which is bare today in the sleeveless collared shirt and pants combination she’s wearing. It doesn’t last long though, Lena shrugging it off and stepping away from him. Their meeting ends after that. Lena grabs her bag and exits the office with her head down, but before long she’s catching Kara’s eye and coming over to her desk to ask how she’s enjoying the doughnut.

Kara obviously replies that the doughnut is delicious, but also checks in that Lena’s okay. There’s a bit of a flush in her cheeks and she’s fidgeting with her hands. Lena hesitates, as if she’s nervous to share, before quietly revealing that James just asked her out.

Kara is shocked. She’s also a bit upset. Halfway through rising from her chair, she feels Lena’s hand on her shoulder now pressing her back down and reassuring her that it’s okay, she turned him down it just caught her off guard.

Kara, however, doesn’t think it’s okay. She goes on a bit of a rant about James’ nerve, but under her breath so as not to bring attention from the rest of the bullpen on them. She can’t believe he’d have the audacity to ask Lena out, as if he deserves to take her out and compliment her and see her all dressed up after the way he used to talk about her. The more she imagines it, the more worked up Kara starts to get. She’s glad they get along and can work together, but the thought of James taking Lena out on a date has her feeling very defensive of Lena.

Lena ends up taking her hand and pulling her out of the bullpen on to the balcony so they can talk normally. She’s smiling a bit in disbelief at Kara’s reaction; as if she’s surprised she’s acting this way. Kara can’t help it though, something in her can’t stand the idea of the two of them dating. She didn’t mean to react so strongly but her emotions got away from her a bit. It takes a minute for Lena to calm her down and reassure her that she’s fine and it’s not happening for Kara to regain her composure.

They head back inside afterward, Lena laughing a bit and telling Kara that she appreciates her looking out for her but that she can handle herself. Kara knows that, that’s never been a question, but she still feels the need to defend Lena. And maybe it’s not the most professional thing to do but at least she waits until Lena leaves before cornering James and telling him that it’s hard enough for Lena to work with him after all he’s said about her, and that she doesn’t need him pressuring her to let him date her on top of that. The look on James’ face is taken back, but Kara doesn’t stick around to see it she just turns and heads to her desk to get back to work on that article of hers.

__________

The first time Lena kisses her, it’s an affectionate press of her lips to thank her for bringing lunch as they part ways. Kara finds herself blushing, ducking her head to hide the magnitude of the smile that’s taken over her face. She doesn’t quite understand why a flush has taken over her cheeks but she catches herself grinning to herself in the elevator ride down and periodically throughout the rest of the afternoon.

When James coyly asks her what’s got her in such a chipper mood Kara doesn’t understand what he’s implying at first. At her response that she had a nice lunch with Lena that day, he looks a bit confused before a contemplative look takes over his face.

Later that night, she texts Alex to ask her if girls normally kiss each other on the cheek. What she doesn’t ask in the text is if the kiss should make you feel like you’re floating, whether that can’t-stop-smiling-thinking-about-it feeling is a typical reaction, or if the recipient of the kiss normally blushes and catches herself touching her cheek throughout the rest of the day.

When Alex responds that some girls do, that the nature of female friendships is often more openly physically affectionate than male friendships, Kara feels reassured. She loves that Lena feels comfortable enough with her to be affectionate; something she knows wasn’t encouraged growing up in the Luthor household. But at Alex’s follow up text inquiring as to why she’s asking, Kara lies for reasons she can’t explain and says she saw it on a TV show.

__________

A Friday night at the end of a long week has most of the DEO looking forward to a drink and a chance to unwind. When Winn asks Kara if she’s going to join them at the alien bar she shoots him down, claiming all she wants is to take full advantage of the chance to catch up on some sleep on her ridiculously comfy bed. She feels a bit guilty for bailing on her coworkers but the idea of being in a group of humans visiting an alien bar makes her feel a bit uncomfortable. She doesn’t have her feelings about it sorted out enough to actually bring it up with them, but she knows she doesn’t want to be seen as the alien that brought a bunch of humans into one of the only bars where aliens feel safe in National City. So after making her excuses to Winn and asking him to pass the message along to Alex, Kara sneaks out off the DEO balcony to fly home.

Once home she shoots a text off to Lena checking in on how her day went before jumping in the shower. She emerges clean, smelling like coconut conditioner and immediately puts on cozy clothes with the intention of curling up on the couch for a much anticipated Netflix session.

Padding over to where she left her phone on the couch, she finds a couple responses from Lena. It quickly becomes clear Lena hasn’t left the office yet but is feeling the effects of the long week as well. Kara has a sudden urge to wrap her in a blanket and make her some tea. It doesn’t take much to convince Lena to finish up her work and come to Kara’s for a movie night. It’s a nice change from when they first started spending time together, where Lena would make excuses to avoid feeling uncomfortable as she tried to navigate one of her first genuine friendships and the anxiety that came with opening up on a personal level to get to know someone. It took multiple invitations and reassurances that she wasn’t intruding for Lena to truly believe it and start accepting Kara’s invitations to come over when she first asked.

Kara used to be sad that Lena wasn’t used to having friends who wanted to spend time with her without expecting anything in return. That an invitation to come over and hang out came with no strings attached, no attempts to get close to Lena for the sake of a quote about L-Corp or a business advantage. She knew Lena didn’t spend much time at her own apartment considering how she overworked herself, and Kara wanted her own home to be a welcoming refuge for her, a place where she could relax even if just for a short amount of time.

When the distinctive sound of Lena’s heels started making itself known in the hallway and a gentle knock sounded at the door, Kara was already on her way to welcome her inside. Up close without her CEO mask on, the extent of Lena’s weariness was even more evident than over text. After handing her comfy clothes and shooing Lena into the bedroom to get changed (another win in Kara’s books considering the battle it used to be to get Lena to borrow sweatpants and a sweater) Kara gets to work pouring them each a glass of wine and gathering snacks for their movie night.

When a soft looking Lena shuffles out of the bedroom in sweatpants too long for her legs, Kara’s once again overcome with the urge to wrap her up and comfort her as if that could erase the tired lines from her face and body. What she ends up doing is handing Lena her favourite blanket and waiting for her to get settled before passing her a glass of wine. Kara sits down next to Lena on the couch under another blanket and tucks her feet up so she can rest her thigh against hers. She can’t help but think that this is a way better use of her night than going out and drinking with the people she’s surrounded with all week. If she had any doubts, the soft smile she sees when she looks over at Lena to check that she’s comfortable erases them in an instant.

They’re a movie and a half in before Lena starts to doze off. They’ve spend more time talking quietly than watching the movie, catching up on each other’s past few days and just enjoying their down time together. They’ve shifted around on the couch and Kara is now sitting with her ankles crossed on the coffee table. Lena has tucked her feet up so her legs and shoulder are pressing into Kara, a warm weight against the left side of her body. Kara can tell she’s drifting off by the way her answers get quieter and more delayed, and the gentle bobbing of her head as she tries to keep from falling asleep.

A particularly jerky head bob has Lena sitting up straight, saying it’s probably time for her to go considering she can’t keep her eyes open. Kara doesn’t know what it is about her in that moment she just knows she doesn’t want her to leave yet and the offer to stay the night is past her lips before she can even think about it. Lena visibly contemplates it, looking at Kara with her head tilted, but whatever ran through her mind worked in Kara’s favour as she quietly admits that would be nice. They take turns using the bathroom and brushing their teeth after a quick argument about sleeping arrangements. It turns out sleepy Lena is not nearly as proficient in debating as boardroom Lena and Kara’s argument that they can share the bed easily wins out.

Before she knows it, Kara is standing in the soft yellow light of her bedside lamp turning down the covers on one side of the bed for Lena. The younger woman enters the room quietly and pauses taking in the sight. Just as Kara is getting nervous and about to tell Lena she doesn’t have to stay if she’s not comfortable, she smiles and makes her way over to climb into bed. Kara breathes a small sigh of relief before climbing under the duvet on her side and settling in to the welcome embrace of her mattress.

Quiet goodnights are exchanged and Kara turns off the bedside lamp. It doesn’t take long before Lena’s breathing evens out. As she lies there drifting off to sleep herself, Kara takes a moment to bask in the feeling of being there next to Lena. She’s not used to sleeping next to someone (unless it’s Alex) and she finds it’s really nice to be there knowing Lena is next to her getting some of the rest she so obviously needs. With the thought of waking up next to Lena on her mind, Kara lets herself fade into unconsciousness with a smile on her face.

__________

The next morning, Kara rolls over on her pillow and feels hair tickling her nose. She opens her eyes to see a mass of wild black hair fanned out on the pillow next to her and the gentle rise of Lena’s chest as she lies peacefully beside her. Kara takes a moment to drink it all in, feeling as if it’s important for some unknown reason.

There’s a tightening in her chest as she lies there next to Lena in the morning sunbeams that are sneaking into the room through the gap in her curtains. She can see her face, relaxed and free from stress in her sleep. She can smell her hair, and whatever fancy products she uses in it to make it so soft and shiny. She can hear her heartbeat, slowed in sleep but still beating that familiar rhythm.

Kara feels content. It’s a happy, peaceful moment.

After another minute just lying there enjoying the feeling, her stomach makes itself known and Kara leans over to press a gentle kiss to Lena’s forehead before sneaking out of the bed without waking her. She gets started on breakfast, thinking it would be nice for them to start their weekend with coffee and pancakes.

A short while later, she’s standing at the counter cutting a banana when she hears the sounds of Lena waking up in the other room. When footsteps make their way out into the kitchen area Kara calls out a good morning without turning around. There’s no response but the footsteps get closer until arms wrap around her waist from behind. A cheek rests against her back and she’s given a brief squeeze before the arms withdraw and move away. Kara reaches over to grab the coffee pot, pouring Lena a mug and directing her to sit at the table as she starts bringing over a plate of pancakes, bottle of Canadian maple syrup, small plate of berries and bananas, and another coffee for herself.

They sit together in the early sunlight enjoying breakfast together. There’s not much conversation but Kara is basking in it. She loves the domesticity of it all, and how comfortable it feels to wake up with Lena and start their day together. When she catches Lena’s gaze looking at her over her coffee mug and the way her eyes crinkle at the edges as she smiles at her, Kara thinks Lena just might feel the same.

_________

Just like the texting, the lunches and the kisses on the cheek, it doesn’t take long before Lena spending the night at Kara’s becomes a regular occurrence. More of Lena’s clothes start to make their way to Kara’s place, especially since sometimes she’ll stay over on a weeknight and need appropriate clothes for work the next day. Kara’s bathroom has an extra toothbrush in the holder and some additional hair products in the shower.

Maybe she’s being selfish for always wanting Lena at her apartment rather than at her considerably fancier penthouse on the other side of town, but Lena’s place doesn’t feel as homey and Kara loves how relaxed she gets when she enters the door. There’s something about going to bed and getting to cuddle one of her favourite people and waking up in each other’s arms in the morning.

She doesn’t think much of it when she gives Lena a key to her apartment; it just makes sense in her mind. She starts to second guess it a bit when Lena stands there holding it in her hand and staring between it and Kara, but when Lena thanks her and promptly threads it onto her keys next to the Bernese puppy keychain Kara gave her, her worries disappear.

Kara emerges from the shower one morning to the sound of multiple voices in the kitchen. With a bit of a confused frown on her face, she wraps a clean towel around herself and steps out of the bathroom to find Alex and Lena conversing about L-Corp’s current project in advancing prosthetics. Her face lights up at the sight of her sister, and she calls good morning when both women look towards her at the sound of the bathroom door.

After speeding her way through drying off and getting dressed, she’s back in the kitchen. Apparently Alex came over early to see if Kara could come in to the DEO to help her with something before heading to Catco for the day. Kara’s already eaten breakfast so she’s nearly ready to go, and after Lena passes her a bag with second breakfast in it all that’s left is for her to put shoes on. She and Alex leave after Kara presses a quick kiss to Lena’s cheek, the younger woman promising she’ll lock up on her way out.

Alex makes it all the way down the hallway and into the elevator before bringing it up. Kara’s positive she’s mentioned Lena sleeping over before, so she’s not sure why Alex is interrogating her about her presence there this morning or the fact that she has a key. She knows they’re close but Kara guesses she hadn’t realized just how close. Aside from a little questioning about how often they spend the night together and the “old married couple levels of domesticity” she allegedly witnessed, Alex doesn’t press too much, although she’s got a thoughtful expression on her face for most of the journey into the DEO.

__________

The holiday season rolls around in a cloud of snow, seasonal music and good cheer. It’s Kara’s favourite time of year. She loves all the winter activities like tobogganing, drinking hot chocolate, and curling up in cozy sweaters. This winter is no different, although she finds herself making nearly all her plans working around Lena’s busy schedule. Christmas baking is done with her favourites in mind, movie nights are planned where they watch Christmas classics she missed out on in her childhood, and they even decorate Kara’s apartment and Christmas tree together.

They go ice-skating with the rest of the gang one evening. Kara glides gracefully on her skates while Lena moves a little more slowly, wobbling every now and then. It’s incredibly endearing and Kara darts in to drop a little kiss on the tip of Lena’s nose, gone rosy from the cold, before taking her hands to steady Lena as she skates backwards. They leave Winn behind as he looks between them and their joined hands but he catches up before long, skating circles around them, pretending like he’s going to fall and generally goofing off a bit.

Kara gets a call from Eliza at the start of December telling her she expects her and Lena to be at her place in Midvale no later than the 23rd, considering that’s when Alex and Kelly are coming and she won’t accept any excuses. Kara hadn’t actually gotten around to asking Eliza if Lena could join them for the holidays yet, but she supposes Eliza had heard enough about Lena from her or from Alex that she knew to offer. It warms Kara’s heart that Eliza so readily takes in Lena and offers her a home for the holidays. Once again, Kara feels gratitude for her adoptive family and their eagerness to share their love and acceptance with people who need it.

Kara attends the annual L-Corp holiday gala with Lena instead of as a reporter this year. She frets a bit about it while getting ready, wanting to look nice since she’s going with her best friend who just happens to be the CEO running the whole event. Alex helps her do her hair and makeup the night of the gala. Kara is glad she’s there; she’s a bundle of nerves over the event now that it’s so close and she wants to be sure she looks nice for Lena. When she says as much to Alex her big sister smiles at her and reassures her that Lena would think she’s the most beautiful person in the universe even if she showed up in a paper bag, but that she’s truly radiant tonight and to try not to worry so much.

Kara blushes a bit at Alex’s comments but they make her feel a bit better. When she looks up and catches Alex’s eye in mirror Alex just smiles at her and squeezes her shoulder. When she steps back a few minutes later Kara’s hair is loosely curled and falling down her back and shoulders, with the front pulled back and tied behind her head.

Alex steps out to keep Kelly company in the living room while Kara gets changed into her dress. She’s wearing a pale, light blue dress that reminds her of the colour of a winter sky or a lake that’s frozen over. It’s fitted to her shape and has a high neck and no sleeves, not that Kara will get cold considering her Kryptonian biology. The bodice of the dress is overlain with thin fabric almost like lace giving it a subtle patterned look while the skirt is long and flowing, reaching down to the tops of her feet.

She feels like a princess when she looks at herself in the mirror. Kelly says something similar when Kara steps out of the bedroom with her shoes in hand, and Alex insists on taking a picture of her to send to Eliza. It’s nearly time for Kara to be picked up and she’s double checking her makeup in the mirror and grabbing her coat from the closet when she hears Lena coming down the hall. Lena sent Kara the dress so she knows her appearance won’t be a surprise but Kara has been wondering all night what her companion will be wearing.

When she steps through the door, Kara forgets to breathe for a minute. Lena’s wearing a black coat but she looks stunning. Kara can see the bottom of her dress below the coat and it’s a deep maroon colour that matches her lipstick perfectly. Her hair is pulled back into an elegant bun without a single hair out of place. She steps inside and is greeted with hugs from Alex and Kelly, the latter convincing Lena to take her coat off so they can appreciate the full look.

Below the coat, her dress hugs her body and flows with her curves. The neckline is lower than her usual work attire, a sweetheart shape that shows off her collarbones with the thick straps wrapping around her upper arm instead of her shoulders. With her hair tied up, the effect is a lot of bare skin between her neck and chest.

Kara is still trying to remember how to breathe when Alex calls her name and motions for her to stand next to Lena for a photo. Kara slides her arm around Lena’s waist and pulls her in close, Lena’s hand coming to rest on Kara’s stomach as she turns her body to face Kara’s. Alex and Kelly take more photos than Kara thinks is strictly necessary, but when a photo of them together looking at each other’s faces as Kara says something to Lena that makes her smile finds its way into a frame and on her bookshelf the next week Kara can’t complain.

The gala itself passes in a bit of a whirlwind. Kara is proud to arrive with Lena, stepping out of the car first and offering her best friend a hand to help her out. The enter together, Kara’s hand on the small of Lena’s back, in a flurry of cameras flashing as the press all try to get the best shot of the woman in charge.

Inside, Kara sticks with Lena most of the night. The younger woman apologizes frequently as they speak with business partner after business partner, but Kara is content to sip her champagne and be by Lena’s side, as she can’t imagine anything else she’d rather be doing. She spots the reporter from Catco at one point and briefly leaves to exchange a quick hello, but her coworker doesn’t keep her long, shooing her back towards “her lady” with a smile and a promise to catch up on Monday.

Watching Lena give her speech thanking all the business partners and donors for their attendance and generosity, Kara feels a swelling of pride. Her best friend has accomplished so much good since taking over the family company, changing its core values and using it as a force to do real good in the world. She feels very fortunate to have Lena in her life.

Later on, they’re dancing together among other pairs twirling and swaying. Kara is holding Lena close but Lena doesn’t seem to mind, looking up at Kara and smiling as they carry on a quiet conversation while moving around the dance floor. Kara shares with Lena her thought from earlier, that she feels very fortunate to have her in her life, which causes Lena to slow until they’ve come to a stop.

Kara thinks she’s said something wrong when she sees Lena blinking back tears but before she can say anything Lena’s arms around her neck tighten and she’s pulled in for a strong hug. When Lena whispers in her ear that she loves her and she thanks her lucky stars that they crossed paths when they did, Kara finds herself the one blinking rapidly. She tries to convey all the love she can in the squeeze of her arms around Lena’s waist, before remembering that they’re in the middle of the gala and reluctantly pulling back to how they were before. Gently, Kara uses her thumb to brush away a lone tear that made its way to Lena’s cheek before they go back to their dancing.

At the end of the night, when both women have changed out of their dresses and removed their makeup, they’re lying in Kara’s bed with Kara as the big spoon. Lena whispers a thank you to Kara for attending the gala with her and tells her she loves her. Kara echoes the sentiment, and presses a kiss to the back of Lena’s head in the darkness of the room before snuggling in closer and drifting off to sleep.

__________

Christmas itself happens in Midvale. Kara can barely contain her excitement. It’s her favourite holiday and this year she’ll be spending it with some of her all-time favourite people.

She and Lena arrive in the early evening of the 23rd (as specified by Eliza) to the house where Kara spent her teenage years. She usually flies there and could have easily carried Lena as well but she was adamantly told that Lena would not be flying through the snow so she relented to a road trip. It was a couple hours of driving, singing along to Kara’s road trip playlist and enjoying the view out her window to get from National City to Midvale.

Lena was a bit nervous to meet Eliza for the first time but the smaller woman just greeted her with a brief hug and told her it was past time they’d get to spend time together. Kara took their bags upstairs to her old room and returned to the kitchen to see Lena and Eliza chatting softly about L-Corp’s biomedical advancements as the kettle boiled for tea. Leaning in the doorway, she spared a moment to take in the scene, smiling at the sight. Kara knew Eliza would love Lena, how couldn’t she, but more importantly Kara knew Lena needed someone like Eliza in her life. A mother figure who would accept her for who she is and welcome her into her home to share some of her love over the holidays.

Christmas Eve is spent relaxing and enjoying the break from their busy lives. After sleeping in, Kara, Lena and Alex have breakfast with Eliza. Kelly is still sleeping off the last of a string of overnight shifts she worked the past week, but they don’t have anything pressing to do so they leave her be. She appears around lunchtime with wild hair and sleepy face and fills a mug with coffee before taking a seat in the kitchen and watching the rest of the women as they work with a smile on her face.

They’re baking Christmas cookies, a Danvers activity that Lena has joined in on this year. They’ve got four different types of cookie dough on the go, with Eliza working on sugar and shortbread, Alex tackling gingerbread and Kara and Lena tag teaming chocolate chip. Lena was hesitant to join, having never been much of a baker but Kara refused to let her sit it out and she’s glad she insisted. Lena wearing an apron with a smudge of flour on her cheek is a sight to behold. The cookie dough is made amidst giggles as they do their best to follow the recipe.

Kara catches herself gazing at Lena more times than she’d like to admit, enjoying the unfamiliar sight of her in the familiar kitchen, looking stress-free and happy as she scrapes cookie dough off her fingers.

__________

They’ve been best friends for ages now and Kara loves how Lena has formed relationships with everyone else outside of her.

Lena and James have their professional relationship but also get along well at game nights.

It’s not uncommon for Lena and Winn to text or even meet up to geek out over whatever nerdy pop culture phenomenon Kara doesn’t understand, but she’s glad they have each other to share their excitement with.

J’onn and Lena have had many meetings and discussions about L-Corp and how it can help aliens. Kara has heard from J’onn about how Lena’s technology helps save alien lives and how she uses her company to help promote safety and inclusion for all of Earth’s citizens, and it never fails to put a proud smile on her face.

Alex and Lena get along quite well, and actually spend a decent amount of time hanging out without Kara. Kara knows she’s not excluded, but she loves that her sister cares about Lena and likes her enough to want to spend time with her one on one. Neither Alex nor Lena are easy people to win over and Kara feels fortunate two such important people in her life are friends without her as the middle man. One time she asked what kind of stuff Alex and Lena talk about, because she was pretty sure their conversations wouldn’t be like the ones she has with Lena. Alex just replied that they have a lot in common, which Kara didn’t fully understand, but she knew when to mind her own business.

What Kara loves most of all though is how everyone seems to talk about her and Lena as if they’re a unit. When Winn plans game night at his place, he double checks with Kara to make sure Lena doesn’t have any scheduling conflicts or allergies. James will catch her before she leaves for the day to give her a file or a message to pass along to Lena since he knows she’ll likely be seeing her in the evening. Alex will bring an extra coffee or sticky bun when she drops by Kara’s apartment in the mornings.

She loves it. It makes her feel special to be considered the go-to person for all things Lena.

__________

Alex tries to bring up the subject a few times before she succeeds in getting through to Kara, not that she realizes it at first.

It starts at a sister night, tucked under blankets with ice cream and a movie playing in the background. Alex asks Kara if she’s thought about getting out there and dating anyone. Kara immediately answers that she’s not interested in trying to meet new people and date right now. When Alex asks her why, she has to think about it for a minute. She’s not entirely sure why, but the thought of setting up dates, making small talk with someone, not knowing what they’re looking for or what they expect just doesn’t appeal to her. She ends up telling Alex that she’s happy with the people in her life right now and isn’t looking to try and find romance just for the sake of it. Alex has a bit of a look on her face like she’s not sure what words she’s looking for but she drops the subject after that.

The next time it comes up, it’s in the form of Alex inviting Kara and Lena to join her and Kelly for dinner that week. She had mentioned they were planning on going to a new Korean BBQ restaurant that had just opened up, which prompted Kara to start rambling about how much she wants to try it and how good it always smells when she flies by and how she’s going to try and convince Lena to go with her soon. When Alex suggest they all go together and make a double-date out of it, Kara immediately texts Lena to see if she’s free. Alex’s wording doesn’t even register with Kara until later, but technically they are joining Alex and Kelly’s date night so it could be termed a double date.

One afternoon, Kara gets a text from Alex asking if she’s free that evening. When Kara replies in the affirmative, Alex asks if Lena will be at Kara’s that night. Unfortunately for Kara, Lena is at a weeklong conference in Metropolis so it’s just her at home that evening. But Alex’s text that she’ll bring pizza and come by her place that evening perks her up a bit. She loves pizza almost as much as she loves getting to spend time with her sister.

After eating an entire pizza and catching up on each other’s weeks, Alex tells Kara she has something she wants to discuss with her. Which, of course, immediately worries Kara. It must show on her face because Alex starts reassuring her that it’s nothing bad, just something she’s been trying to bring up for a while and hasn’t been able to.

Only slightly reassured, Kara puts the pizza down and turns to face her sister and give her her full attention. She has no idea what Alex wants to discuss with her, so when she ends up asking her how she feels about Lena she almost laughs. It’s with an easy smile that she tells Alex that she loves Lena.

When Alex doesn’t smile back Kara is a bit confused, but Alex looks like she’s thinking about what to say so she gives her time. She ends up changing gears and asking Kara why she doesn’t want to try dating anyone. When Kara repeats what she told Alex recently, that she’s happy with the people in her life right now and the thought of dating doesn’t appeal to her, Alex pushes a bit more that the last time they had this conversation. This time, she asks her to imagine what it would be like to date someone and what she would be looking for in a partner.

Kara isn’t sure where this is going but she loves her sister and Alex is obviously struggling a bit. She decides to try and help her out even though she doesn’t know what’s going on and just commit to answering Alex’s questions as honestly as she can.

After a moment of thought, Kara tries describing who she imagines as her future partner. Someone with who she feels she can be her honest, genuine self without fear of judgment or rejection. Someone who understands her work as both a reporter and Supergirl, and how both are equally important to her. Someone who comforts her on hard days, who she can laugh and cry and cuddle with, and who wants to do those thing with her too. Someone who wants to do good in the world. Someone who gets along well with all the other important people in her life. Someone who’s easy to talk to and doesn’t mind when Kara rambles on. Someone she can love and trust and build a home and eventually a family with.

Her sister listens patiently. When Kara finishes, Alex takes a deep breath and tells her that she thinks she’s already found that person. She thinks that Lena is that person for Kara.

Kara feels like the rug has been pulled out from under her. Which is saying something, considering she can fly.

Her first instinct is to deny it and insist that they’re only best friends. She gets as far as opening her mouth but by some force of will, she suppresses that urge and tries to really think about it for a minute. Alex must see the wheels turning on her face because she sits there quietly, even if her heart is pounding something fierce.

Or is that Kara’s heart? She’s unsure. She’s unsettled. She starts thinking about her and Lena’s interactions and looking at them through a different lens. She’s known she loves Lena for a long time now. But Alex is suggesting she’s in love with Lena and she feels as if that’s an important distinction. She thinks about how she feels around Lena and compares it to how she feels around her other friends. There are some similarities for sure but there are also quite a few differences. She tries to imagine what it would be like to be in a relationship with Lena. To be the person Lena gets to come home to after a long day of work. To be the one Lena talks to about her hopes, her fears, her successes, her failures and her passions. To go to events with Lena as her girlfriend, supporting her or vice versa. To have Lena with her at family events and holiday dinners. To hug her, hold her hand, and kiss her.

Oh.

To kiss Lena.

She doesn’t even realize how much she wants to kiss Lena until her thoughts lead her there. They’ve exchanged kisses on the cheek before, many times, some creeping close to the corner of the other’s mouth but all have been chaste. Now she can’t help but imagine what it would be like to kiss Lena properly, to hold her in her arms and convey her love by pressing her lips against hers.

She doesn’t realize she’s crying until she feels Alex’s thumb on her cheek, brushing away a tear. It brings her out of her reflection and back to the moment. There’s no judgment in Alex’s eyes, just love and understanding and a bit of nervousness. She opens her arms for a hug and Kara falls into them gratefully. Alex tells her it’s okay, that she’s sorry for pushing but that she wasn’t sure if Kara would ever consider it on her own. When Kara asks her how long Alex has been thinking about this, she’s told that it’s been on her and others’ minds for a while but that no one wanted to assume anything, push her past what she was ready to hear or make them feel uncomfortable since it really wasn’t anyone’s business.

Alex stays over that night. Once again Kara is reminded just how lucky she is to have the best sister in the world. They spend a lot of time talking about Kara’s options, what it means for her to be in love with Lena and how nothing has to change but also that sometimes change is good. She’s glad Alex came over and brought it up. Kara’s not sure if she ever would have made the revelation on her own, and even if her emotions are a little all over the place right now she’s glad she’s figuring out how she feels.

Kara spends a lot of time during the rest of the week that Lena is out of town thinking about her feelings. By the time the night before Lena’s return rolls around, she’s pretty sure she wants to tell her about her feelings. She’s scared, but she also knows she’s the worst liar in the world and she’d rather have an honest discussion about it with Lena than act strange and accidentally let it slip. She’s not sure how to bring it up but she resolves to do it soon.

In hindsight, Kara doesn’t think there’s a specific moment where she fell in love. She can think of endless little moments where she’s been with Lena and felt that lightness in her chest, that happy, carefree feeling that comes from being with her favourite person, but when those feelings turned into love she’s not exactly sure.

She knew she loved Lena long before she knew she was in love with her. Her love has changed, grown the more they’ve spent time together until Kara crossed some invisible line that determines she’s now in love. Pinpointing the exact moment that happened though? It’s just not possible.

It probably happened slowly over the course of a long time. She thinks that it was a lot like the way snow falls. Slowly, softly, that it doesn’t even make a sound when it lands. But before you know it, it’s accumulated and you’re covered in it. Not that she minds, Kara has always loved the snow.

__________

The first time she sees Lena when she’s back from her trip, Kara can feel the difference. Having the knowledge that she’s in love with Lena has changed something inside of her. Now when she hears her coming down the hall she can identify the fluttery nerves in her stomach. When she opens the door and feels her something in her chest uncoil and her face break out in a big smile she knows it’s because she’s seeing the woman she loves for the first time in a week. When she wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her close to press a kiss to her cheek and receives one in return, she knows the stutter in her heartbeat is because she wishes she could give her a proper kiss instead.

Kara was nervous to see Lena for the first time since her discussion with Alex but something about having her physically with her eases her anxieties. It just feels right to have Lena there with her and she knows that even if Lena doesn’t return her feelings they’ll be okay. They’ve been through so much together, she’s confident their friendship could survive anything at this point. It doesn’t make her less nervous to tell Lena about her feelings, but it does reassure her a bit that everything will work out in the end.

Lena has come to Kara’s straight from the airport where Kara had a home cooked meal ready for her, along with a pie that she’d baked herself that afternoon. When Lena commented on the effort Kara went through to make dinner and dessert, Kara explained that she figured Lena was eating take out for the past week and that nothing is better than real food after something like that. Lena just smiles that special smile that only Kara gets to see as she squeezes her hand and tells her that she’s her favourite.

They catch up on each other’s weeks over the course of dinner, enjoying being back in each other’s company. It’s easy, even with the undercurrent of Kara’s feelings making her extra attentive to their interactions. After dinner they take a slice of apple pie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream each to the couch to watch a movie before bed.

As the movie winds down, they’re sitting beneath the same blanket with Lena nestled against Kara’s side. It’s warm, familiar and comfortable to be there together after their time apart. The TV is playing credits and they’re sitting quietly in the light of the lamp on the table next to the couch. Kara has one arm around Lena’s shoulders but the other is resting against her leg. She slowly reaches for Lena’s hands where they’re resting in her own lap, unfolding them to take one in her hand. Lena watches her but doesn’t stop her or question her, just lets her have her hand. As Kara interlaces their fingers she receives a little squeeze from Lena. She squeezes back and closes her eyes, bringing their joined hands to her mouth to press a kiss on the back of Lena’s hand before settling them in her lap.

When she opens her eyes, Lena is looking up at her with a question in her eyes. Kara can tell she’s wondering if she’s okay, and she smiles reassuringly. Lena smiles back and they just stay there for a moment, cuddled together, hands joined, as Kara gets a little lost in Lena’s eyes. She feels as if she’s on the edge of something big, and her heart speeds up ever so slightly as she takes a deep breath.

“Lena.”

“Yes Kara?”

“I love you.”

A soft smile. “I love you too.”

Another deep breath. “I’m in love with you Lena Luthor.”

A pause. Kara can hear both of their heartbeats. They’re elevated, but not beating out of control. They’re beating like they’re finally acknowledging something that’s been unknowingly unspoken between them for some time now.

Then, quietly, “I’m in love with you too Kara Zor-El.”

It doesn’t feel like a confession. It feels like a confirmation, like things are settling into place. Kara loosens her fingers and brings her hand up from her lap to cup Lena’s cheek. Lena leans into her touch, still looking up at her with that beautiful smile on her face and Kara can’t help herself.

“Can I kiss you?” is breathed out into the space between them, gaze flickering between the green sea of Lena’s eyes to her lips, so close to Kara’s own.

“Please” is whispered back, as the distance between them is already closing.

When their lips meet for the first time, Kara feels it in the center of her chest. Their kiss is gentle but it’s tightening her chest and making her feel like she’s going to burst. Lena’s lips are soft and moving slowly against her own, and Kara can’t focus on anything other than how it _feels_ to finally kiss her and pour all of her love and affection into the press of their lips. The kiss deepens a bit as it goes on and Kara can taste apple pie on Lena’s mouth. She thinks she would be content to stay here, wrapped up together and sharing kisses forever.

When they eventually slow and start to pull back, Kara looks down to see Lena with her face angled up toward Kara, eyes closed and savoring the moment. It’s too much for her. Kara presses one more quick kiss to her lips, causing the smile on Lena’s face to grow even wider as she opens her eyes to Kara’s thumb brushing gently along her cheek.

They get up and tidy up their dishes, shutting off the TV and going through their nighttime routines. When they crawl into bed a few minutes later, they’re drawn together again. Each kiss fills Kara with happiness and she tries to share that with Lena. It may have taken some time for Kara to figure out her feelings and for them to get to where they are now, but she doesn’t feel any regret over that. After all, she can’t imagine anywhere better than where they are now so they must have done something right.

Some time later, they’re curled up in bed pressed up against each other. I love yous are exchanged in the dark of the room and they fall asleep in each other’s arms, not for the first time and certainly not for the last.


End file.
